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Fix Mac Freeze issues by Macbook Support Team

You usually have no problem waiting in line to get services. But when it comes to using your Macbook Pro, it may be another story.

For me, I hated it when the applications I use became unresponsive, not to mention that when the entire system froze up. Although I was told that patience is a virtue, somehow I just can’t bear with it with my beloved MacBook.

How about you? Does your MacBook Pro sometimes run slow or freeze for no reason? Or the spinning beach ball often appears? If this has happened to you, be aware that your Mac may have some issues. But, there are always fixes out there.

I’ve grouped all MacBook freezing issues into different scenarios (now four, thanks to our reader Carol’s feedback). Find the one that applies to your situation and hopefully the guide will help you resolve the problem.

Scenario 1: An application is frozen on MacBook (you can still move your cursor)

More details: this kind of application usually demands a lot of system resources to process. For example, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, or even FireFox browser. When you request a few clicks at the same time, the app just hangs with the cursor spinning like a pinwheel. The program refuses to take any input or respond to any commands.

Reasons: the application may be waiting for other hardware resource to become available, or the software may have a bug that drops itself into a calculation loop.

Fix solutions:

If you haven’t saved your work, wait for a few minutes. It may become responsive again (hopefully).

Otherwise, simply force quit the app. To do so, go to the Apple logo on the top left corner, click on it and select the “Force Quit” option. (You can also press “Command + Option + Esc” — it does the same thing.) Now highlight the unresponsive app, and click “Force Quit” to exit.

Here is an intuitive YouTube video that shows you how:

Warning: a force quit on a running Mac application can cause you to lose any content that hasn’t been saved. Be cautious before you take this action.

Scenario 2: The entire macOS totally freezes (you can’t move cursor)

More details: the whole system becomes completely unresponsive to anything you’re trying to accomplish. You are unable to use the keyboard to type, the mouse cursor is unable to move as you want, the same screen seems just hang there for good. Sometimes you also hear the loud noise coming from the fan.

Reasons: It happens on rare occasions, but the issue could result from an overused system resources, MacBook Pro uptime too long, hard disk errors, etc.

Fix solutions:

You’ll have to do a hard reboot. Press the power button for 3-5 seconds to force a shut-down of the computer. Press it again to restart.

Clean up your MacBook hard drive and fix potential disk errors — you can do this quickly using CleanMyMac 3 (or MacBooster 6).

Scenario 3: MacBook keeps freezing randomly

Details: Your Mac just freezes without any sign and it happens every few hours or days. One second your MacBook is working perfectly fine, the other second everything just hangs up — the cursor won’t move. If you were watching a video, horizontal lines cut through the screen. It seems the only solution to make it work again is to hold the power button to reboot.

Reasons: mostly like it’s related to hardware — for example, you just installed extra RAM improperly or the System Management Controller (SMC) has some issues.

Fix solutions:

Reset SMC and RVRAM. Learn how to do so from this MacWorld tutorial.

If the random freezing still happens, take your MacBook Pro to a Apple Genius Bar or a local computer shop and have a geek run hardware diagnostics. Then fix the issues based on his/her suggestions.

Details: Your Mac cursor would freeze (for anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 mins) when you launch apps like Photos, Time Machine, Adobe Photoshop or Reader.

Reasons: You’ve enlarged the Mac cursor.

Fix solutions: Adjust cursor size to normal.

Click on the Apple logo on top left, select “System Preferences.”

Then click “Accessibility” > “Display.”

You’ll see a window (as shown above), navigate the cursor size bar and adjust it to normal size.

Due to the complex nature of computer issues, sometimes it’s inevitable that you may encounter other scenarios not introduced here. I’d appreciate it if you can kindly share your stories here.

Anyway, I hope this troubleshooting article has helped you unfreeze your Mac, and that the rotating beach ball won’t come back.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR MAC FREEZES

You know that frustrating, annoying, sometimes panicked feeling you get when your Mac isn’t doing what you expect? If an application freezes or your computer is generally misbehaving, try these tips to escape with minimal disruption.

Use Force Quit when an application is unresponsive. Choose Force Quit from the Apple menu or press Command+Option+Esc keys. Click the name of the deviant application (it probably has not responding next to its name). You typically won’t have to reboot.

Restart. If Force Quit doesn’t bail you out, try rebooting the computer. If a frozen Mac prevents you from clicking the Restart command on the Apple menu, hold down the power button for several seconds or press the Control+Command keys and then press the power button. If all else fails, pull the plug, but remember that powering down without logging out should be used only as a last resort.

Restart in Safe Mode. Press the power button to turn on your computer, and then press and hold the Shift key the instant you hear the welcome chime. Release Shift when the Apple logo appears. You will see a status bar as the computer boots, after which the words Safe Boot appear in red in the upper right corner of OS X’s login screen. In Safe mode, the Mac unleashes a series of troubleshooting steps designed to return the computer to good health. If Safe Boot resolved the issue, restart the Mac normally the next time.

Call Our Technical Support Phone Number for Apple Mac Support @ USA: +1-800-608-5461, UK: +44-800-046-5216, AUS: +61-180-095-4262 to Get Instant Help

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